US20050036117A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20050036117A1
Application number: US10/867,675
Authority: US
Inventors: Masanobu Kobayashi
Original assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
Current assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
Priority date: 2003-07-11
Filing date: 2004-06-16
Publication date: 2005-02-17
Also published as: CN1577050A; TW200503541A; EP1496694A3; JP2005033703A; TWI249351B; US7470029B2; KR20050009163A; KR100648592B1; CN100426129C; EP1496694A2

Abstract

To provide an image processing system and the like which can correct a distortion of a projected image through only a single sensor, a projector has a calibration image information generating section which generates image information used to display a rectangular calibration image; an image projection section which projects the calibration image onto a projection target, based on the image information; a sensing section which senses a region including the projected calibration image plane and generates sensing information; a projection area information generating section which generates shortest-distance projection area information based on the sensing information in such a state that a distance between the projection section and the projection target is different from the distance in an actual operating condition, and generates actual projection area information based on the sensing information in the actual operating condition; and a correction information generating section which generates image distortion correction information, based on the shortest-distance projection area information and actual projection area information.

Description

Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-273358, filed on Jul. 11, 2003, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an image processing system, projector, program, information storage medium and image processing method which can correct the distortion of an image.

When an image is projected by an image projection device such as a projector and if the optical axis of the projected light is not coincident with a projection target such as a screen, the projected image may be distorted to create a so-called keystone distortion from image distortions in the vertical and horizontal directions.

For such a reason, the image projection device must project a proper image after the distortion has been eliminated.

However, the general image projection device having an image distortion correcting function includes an inclination sensor which can correct the image distortion in the vertical direction, but not the image distortion in the horizontal direction.

In order to correct the distortion in the horizontal direction, a user must indicate four corner points in a screen by use of a mouse or the like so that the image projection device can semi-automatically correct the image distortion in the horizontal direction, based on the user's indications. It is troublesome for the user to indicate the four corner points in the screen through the mouse or the like.

To solve such a problem, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 2001-61121 has proposed a projector device which comprises a projection plane capturing means for capturing the shape of the projection plane by associating coordinates of the projector's image with coordinates of the camera's image based on an image taken by a camera, the taken image being projected when a pattern image is displayed, and determining three-dimensional coordinate of the position where the pattern image is projected through triangulation, and an image correction means for performing corrections for inclination and magnification in the original inputted image according to the sensed shape of the projection plane.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 2001-61121 also describes that a known three-dimensional shape measuring device can be used as projection plane capturing means and that the projection plane sensing means are not essential for the invention thereof.

However, the known three-dimensional shape measuring device requires two cameras, for example, when the triangulation is to be carried out. This makes the structure complicated and increases the manufacturing cost.

Additionally, such a technique of detecting the shape of the projection target such as a screen to process the image as in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 2001-61121 cannot be applied to a wall. Thus, projection targets to which such a technique can be applied will be limited.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is made in view of the above-mentioned problem and may provide an image processing system, projector, program, information storage medium and image processing method, all of which can correct any distortion of an projected image by use of a single sensor for measuring the distance and angle between a reference projection point and a projection target.

An image processing system or projector according to an aspect of the present invention includes:

- a calibration image information generating means for generating image information used to display a rectangular calibration image;
- a projection means for projecting the calibration image onto a projection target, based on the image information;
- a sensing means for sensing a region including the projected calibration image through a sensing plane and generating sensing information;
- a projection area information generating means for generating temporary projection area information which indicates coordinates of four corners of the calibration image on the sensing plane, based on the sensing information in such a state that an entire portion of the calibration image is included within a sensing range of the sensing means and under such a state that a distance between the projection means and the projection target is different from the distance in an actual operating condition, and for generating actual projection area information which indicates the coordinates of the four corners of the calibration image in the sensing plane, based on the sensing information in the actual operating condition;
- a correction information generating means for generating image distortion correction information; and
- a distortion correction means for correcting a distortion of the image, based on the image distortion correction information, wherein the correction information generating means has following functions of:
- deriving an inter-coordinate distance between each of the coordinates of the four corners included in the temporary projection area information and corresponding one of the coordinates of the four corners included in the actual projection area information;
- deriving a projection distance on an optical axis of the projection means between the projection means and each of the four corners of the calibration image on the projection target, based on projection distance data in which the inter-coordinate distance is associated with the projection distance and based on the inter-coordinate distance;
- deriving three-dimensional coordinates of at least three of the four corners of the calibration image in a three-dimensional space for the projection means to process an image, based on the projection distance and the half angle-of-view in the projection means;
- deriving an angle formed by the optical axis of the projection means and the projection target, based on the three-dimensional coordinates; and
- generating the image distortion correction information, based on the derived angle.

An image processing system or projector according to another aspect of the present invention includes:

- a calibration image information generating section which generates image information used to display a rectangular calibration image;
- a projection section which projects the calibration image onto a projection target, based on the image information;
- a sensing section which senses a region including the projected calibration image through a sensing plane and generates sensing information;
- a projection area information generating section which generates temporary projection area information which indicates coordinates of four corners of the calibration image on the sensing plane, based on the sensing information in such a state that an entire portion of the calibration image is included within a sensing range of the sensing section and under such a state that a distance between the projection section and the projection target is different from the distance in an actual operating condition, and generates actual projection area information which indicates the coordinates of the four corners of the calibration image in the sensing plane, based on the sensing information in the actual operating condition;
- a correction information generating section which generates image distortion correction information; and
- a distortion correction section which corrects a distortion of the image, based on the image distortion correction information, wherein the correction information generating section has following functions of:
- deriving an inter-coordinate distance between each of the coordinates of the four corners included in the temporary projection area information and corresponding one of the coordinates of the four corners included in the actual projection area information;
- deriving a projection distance on an optical axis of the projection section between the projection section and each of the four corners of the calibration image on the projection target, based on projection distance data in which the inter-coordinate distance is associated with the projection distance and based on the inter-coordinate distance;
- deriving three-dimensional coordinates of at least three of the four corners of the calibration image in a three-dimensional space for the projection section to process an image, based on the projection distance and the half angle-of-view in the projection section;
- deriving an angle formed by the optical axis of the projection section and the projection target, based on the three-dimensional coordinates; and
- generating the image distortion correction information, based on the derived angle.

A computer-readable program according to a further aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as:

An information storage medium according to a still further aspect of the present invention stores a computer-readable program which causes a computer to function as:

An image processing method according to a yet further aspect of the present invention includes:

- causing an image projection device to project a rectangular calibration image onto a projection target, sensing a region including the projected calibration image through a sensing plane, and generating first projection area information which indicates coordinates of four corners of the calibration image in the sensing plane, when a positional relationship between the image projection device and the projection target becomes a first state in which an entire portion of the calibration image is included within a sensing range;
- causing the image projection device to project the calibration image onto the projection target, sensing the region including the projected calibration image through the sensing plane, and generating second projection area information which indicates the coordinates of the four corners of the calibration image in the sensing plane, when the positional relationship between the image projection device and the projection target becomes a second state in which an entire portion of the rectangular calibration image is included within the sensing range, the second state being different from the first state;
- deriving an inter-coordinate distance between each of the coordinates of the four corners included in the first projection area information and the corresponding one of the coordinates of the four corners included in the second projection area information;
- deriving a projection distance on an optical axis of a projected light between the image projection device and each of the coordinates of the four corners of the calibration image on the projection target, based on the projection distance data in which the inter-coordinate distance is associated with the projection distance and based on the inter-coordinate distance;
- deriving three-dimensional coordinates of at least three of the four corners of the calibration image in a three-dimensional space for the image projecting device to process an image, based on the projection distance and the half angle-of-view in the projected light;
- deriving an angle formed by the optical axis of the projected light and the projection target, based on the three-dimensional coordinates;
- generating image distortion correction information, based on the derived angle; and
- correcting image distortion, based on the generated image distortion correction information.

In accordance with the present invention, the image processing system and the like can correct the distortions in the projected image by use of only a single sensor for measuring the distance and angle between the reference projection point and the projection target.

In accordance with the present invention, moreover, the image processing system and the like can be applied to various kinds of projection targets such as walls, resulting in improvement of its versatility, since the distortions in the projected image can be corrected without using a frame of a screen and the like.

With these image processing system, projector, program and information storage medium, the correction information generating means may have following functions of:

- deriving a normal vector in the projection target, based on the three-dimensional coordinates; and
- deriving an angle formed by the optical axis of the projection means and the projection target, based on the normal vector and a directional vector of the optical axis of the projection means.

When the angle formed by the optical axis of the projected light and the projection target is derived, this image processing method may include:

- deriving a normal vector in the projection target, based on the three-dimensional coordinates; and
- deriving an angle formed by the optical axis of the projected light and the projection target, based on the normal vector and a directional vector of the optical axis of the projected light.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is schematic view showing a state when an image is projected.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a projector according to one example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a hardware block diagram illustrating a projector according to this example of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a flow of image processing according to this example of this embodiment.

FIG.5 is a schematic view of a sensing plane according to this example of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating, in a plan view, a state of projection according to this example of this embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating, in a side view, a state of projection according to this example of this embodiment.

FIG.8 is a schematic view illustrating a projection distance according to this example of this embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating the data structure of the projection distance according to this example of this embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating four corner coordinates in a corrected projection area according to this example of this embodiment.

FIG. 11 is correcting data illustrating four corner coordinates in a corrected projection area according to this example of this embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

In the description below, the present invention is applied to a projector which performs a distortion correction of an image, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments described hereunder do not in any way limit the scope of the invention defined by the claims laid out herein. Note also that all of the elements of these embodiments should not be taken as essential requirements to the means of the present invention.

Overall System

FIG. 1 is schematic view showing a state when an image is projected.

Aprojector20 which is a kind of an image processing system projects an image toward ascreen10 which is a kind of a projection target. Thus, a projectedimage12 is displayed on thescreen10.

In this embodiment, theprojector20 is not arranged directly in front of thescreen10. For such a reason, a distortion (e.g., a so-called keystone distortion) is occurred in the projectedimage12.

In this embodiment, asensor60 which is part of a sensing means senses a region including the projectedimage12. Theprojector20 then derives a projection distance between the reference projection position of theprojector20 and each of four corners of the projectedimage12 based on the sensing information from thesensor60, and derives an angle between the optical axis in the projected light from theprojector20 and thescreen10.

Theprojector20 further determines a distortion of the projectedimage12 based on the projection distances and corrects input image signals to correct the distortions in the projectedimage12.

Functional Blocks

Next, the functional blocks of theprojector20 for implementing such a feature will be described.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of theprojector20 according to one example of this embodiment.

Theprojector20 comprises asignal input section110 for inputting image signals, adistortion correcting section130 for correcting the inputted image signals so that the image distortion is corrected, asignal output section160 for outputting the corrected image signals, animage projecting section190 for projecting an image based on the image signals, theimage projecting section190 being a kind of projection means, and a calibration imageinformation generating section170 for generating calibration image information.

Theprojector20 also comprises asensing section180 for sensing a region including the projectedimage12 through the imaging sensing plane to generate sensing information, a projection areainformation generating section150 for determining the region of the projectedimage12 in the sensing plane of thesensor60, based on the sensing information and a correctioninformation generating section120 for generating distortion correction information. Thesensor60 is included in thesensing section180.

Theimage projecting section190 comprises a spatiallight modulator192, adrive section194 for driving the spatiallight modulator192, alight source196 and alens198.

Thedrive section194 drives the spatiallight modulator192 based on the image signals from thesignal output section160. Theimage projecting section190 projects light from alight source196 through the spatiallight modulator192 andlens198.

The following means can be applied so that the functions of the respective sections in theprojector20 can be implemented into a computer.

Thesignal input section110 may be implemented, for example, by an A/D converter930 or the like; thedistortion correcting section130 may be implemented, for example, by animage processing circuit970,RAM950,CPU910 or the like; thesignal output section160 may be implemented, for example, by a D/A converter940 or the like; the correctioninformation generating section120, projection areainformation generating section150 and calibration imageinformation generating section170 may be, for example, by theimage processing circuit970,RAM950 or the like; thesensing section180 may be implemented, for example, by a CCD sensor, a CMOS sensor, an RGB sensor or the like; the spatiallight modulator192 may be implemented, for example, by aliquid crystal panel920, aROM960 for storing a liquid crystal light valve driver for driving theliquid crystal panel920 or the like.

These sections can be configured to mutually deliver the information therebetween through asystem bus980.

Moreover, the part or whole of each of these sections may be implemented in a hardware manner such as circuits or in a software manner such as drivers.

The computer may implement the function of the projection areainformation generating section150 according to a program that has been stored in and is read out of aninformation storage medium900, the program being operative for causing the computer to function as the projection areainformation generating section150 and the like.

Such aninformation storage medium900 may be accomplished, for example, by CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, ROM, RAM, HDD or the like. The program may be read out of theinformation storage medium900 through either of the contact or non-contact type reading mode.

In place of theinformation storage medium900, the aforementioned functions can be implemented by downloading a program or the like for implementing them from a host device or the like through a transmission channel.

Flow of Image Processing

Next, the flow of image processing using these sections will be described.

A manufacturer for theprojector20 has determined, prior to delivery of theprojector20, the relationship between the distances on the optical axis of the projected light between the reference projection position of theimage projecting section190 and four corners of the projectedimage12 and the distances between coordinates in the sensing plane of thesensor60 and stored it in the correctioninformation generating section120 as projection distance data.

Prior to delivery of theprojector20, the manufacturer has also located thescreen10 at a shortest-distance position (first or temporary position) at which the whole calibration image (or the projected image12) falls within the sensing range in thesensor60 under a condition that theprojector20 is positioned directly in front of thescreen10. Theprojector20 projects a calibration image toward thescreen10, derives the coordinates of the four corners of the projectedimage12 on the sensing plane, and stores them as shortest-distance projection area information (step S1).

More particularly, the calibration imageinformation generating section170 generates image information for an all-white monochromatic calibration image (i.e., white-colored image as a whole). Thesignal output section160 outputs the digital signals of the image information toward theimage projecting section190.

Theimage projecting section190 projects an all-white calibration image onto thescreen10, based on the digital signals. Thus, the all-white calibration image is displayed on thescreen10.

Thesensing section180 senses a region including the projectedimage12 through the imaging sensing plane to generate sensing information. Here, the sensing information is one that indicates an image signal value which can generate a luminance value, XYZ value or the like for each pixel in thesensor60. The XYZ value used herein is a kind of image signal value which is a device-independent color based on the International Standard defined by the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE).

Next, the sensing plane and projection state will be described.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating thesensing plane17 according to this example of this embodiment.FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating, in a plan view, a projection state according to this example of this embodiment.FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating, in a side view, a state of projection according to this example of this embodiment.

Thesensing plane17 shown inFIG. 5 is a plane at which thesensor60 senses the image and also a region in which the sensing information of thesensor60 is schematically shown in rectangular form. Specifically, thesensing plane17 corresponds to, for example, that of a CCD sensor.

If thescreen10 is located at the minimum distance in which the entire calibration image falls within the sensing range in thesensor60, the projectedimage14 corresponds to the shortest-distance projection area15 in thesensing plane17, which is surrounded by four vertexes A0 to D0.

The projectedimage12 in the actual operating environment corresponds to theactual projection area13 in thesensing plane17, which is surrounded by four vertexes A to D.

The projection areainformation generating section150 generates shortest-distance projection area information (first or temporary projection area information) representing the coordinates of the four vertexes A0 to D0 of the shortest-distance projection area15 in thesensing plane17, based on the sensing information for the projectedimage14 from thesensing section180.

The manufacturer has also sensed images through thesensor60 while moving theprojector20 away from thescreen10 within a range of projection between the minimum and maximum distances. The maximum distance used herein is the longest distance on the optical axis of the projected light, which quality is assured by the maker, when theprojector20 is positioned directly in front of thescreen10.

The correctioninformation generating section120 determines the projection area information within the range of projection between the minimum and maximum distances and the projection distance at each point of time. The correctioninformation generating section120, then computes inter-coordinate distances at the respective one of the sensed projection distances, each of the inter-coordinate distances representing a deviation (e.g., dots) between the coordinate of each of the four corners in thesensing plane17 of the projectedimage12 and the coordinate of each of the four corners of theprojection image12 when it is projected at the minimum distance.

The correctioninformation generating section120 further generates and stores a two-dimensional lookup table in which the inter-coordinate distances are associated with the projection distance as projection distance data.

By the above-mentioned procedure, the manufacturer can deliver theprojector20 which has stored the projection distance data in which the inter-coordinate distance between the projections at the minimum and maximum distances is associated with the projection distance as well as the shortest-distance projection area information.

When a user first uses theprojector20 in the actual operating environment, the projection areainformation generating section150 generates the actual projection area information (second projection area information) representing the coordinates of the four vertexes A to D of theactual projection area13 in thesensing plane17, based on the sensing information for the projectedimage12 from thesensing section180 in the actual operating environment (step S2).

The correctioninformation generating section120 then derives an inter-coordinate distance in thesensing plane17 between each of the vertexes of theactual projection area13 and corresponding one of the vertexes of the shortest-distance projection area15, based on the shortest-distance projection area information and the actual projection area information (step S3).

The correctioninformation generating section120 then derives the projection distance based on the inter-coordinate distance and projection distance data (step S4).

FIG.8 is a schematic view illustrating a projection distance according to this example of this embodiment.FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating the data structure of the projection distance according to this example of this embodiment.

It is now assumed that a position at which aprojection lens section50 including thelens198 emits the projected light (reference projection position) is an origin and that the lens plane is X-Y plane while the optical axis of the projected light is Z-axis. In this case, the correctioninformation generating section120 derives a projection distance Ad, Bd, Cd or Dd on the Z-axis between a shortest-distance point between each of the vertexes A, B, C or D in the projectedimage12 and the Z-axis, and the origin.

More specifically, the correctioninformation generating section120 derives a projection distance (Ad, Bd, Cd or Dd) to each of the four corners of the projectedimage12, based on the derived inter-coordinate distances and the projection distance data indicative of the relationship between the derived inter-coordinate distances and the projection distances. For example, in such projection distance data as shown inFIG. 9, the projection distance is equal to 1.5 m if the inter-coordinate distance is zero dots. The projection distance data may be common to all the four vertexes or individual from one vertex to another.

It is further assumed that each half angle-of-view in theprojection lens section50 is θR on the right side; θL on the left side; θU on the upper side; or θD on the lower side as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7.

In this case, the projector coordinates A′, B′, C′ and D′ of the four corners of the projected image12 (coordinates in the three-dimensional space for processing the spatial light modulator192) are:

- A′(A′x, A′y, A′z)=(Ad*tan(θL), Ad*tan(θD), Ad);
- B′(B′x, B′y, B′z)=(Bd*tan(θL), Bd*tan(θU), Bd);
- C′(C′x, C′y, C′z)=(Cd*tan(θR), Cd*tan(θU), Cd); and
- D′(D′x, D′y, D′z)=(Dd*tan(θR), Dd*tan(θD), Dd).

The correctioninformation generating section120 computes the normal vector N (Nx, Ny, Nz) in thescreen10 on which the projectedimage12 is displayed by use of three points among these projector coordinates. For example, when three points A′, C′ and D′ are used,

- Nx=(D′y−C′y)*(A′z−D′z)−(D′z−C′z)*(A′y−D′y);
- Ny=(D′z−C′z)*(A′x−D′x)−(D′x−C′x)*(A′z−D′z); and
- Nz=(D′x−C′x)*(A′y−D′y)−(D′y−C′y)*(A′x−D′x).

The correctioninformation generating section120 also derives an angle (θx in the horizontal direction or θy in the vertical direction) which is formed by the normal vector N and a directional vector (0, 0, 1) of the optical axis of the projection lens section50 (step S5). This angle corresponds to an angle formed by thescreen10 and the optical axis of the projected light from theprojector20.

The correctioninformation generating section120 further derives coordinates of four corners E, F, G and H in the corrected projection area by searching the coordinates of the four corners in the corrected projection area from correcting data based on this angle (i.e., θx or θy) (step S6).

FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating four corner coordinates in a corrected projection area according to this example of this embodiment.FIG. 11 is correcting data illustrating four corner coordinates in a corrected projection area according to this example of this embodiment.

In the aforementioned correcting data, the values of θx and θy are associated with the x-y coordinate of the respective one of the coordinates of the four corners E, F, G and H in the corrected projection area, as shown inFIG. 11. It is noted that the coordinates of the four corners E, F, G and H in the corrected projection area are coordinates in the spatiallight modulator192, for example.

The correctioninformation generating section120 then generates image distortion correction information by using the x-y coordinate of the respective one of the coordinates E, F, G and H in the correcting data shown inFIG. 11 (step S7), and sends them to thedistortion correcting section130. The image distortion correction information used herein may correspond to information indicative of differential values between the coordinates of the four corners of the image before and after the distortion thereof is corrected, for example.

Thedistortion correcting section130 then corrects image signals to correct the image distortion, based on the image distortion correction information (step S8). However, thedistortion correcting section130 may indirectly correct the image signals by correcting the distortion correcting data such as lookup table or matrix, based on the image distortion correction information or may directly correct the image signals without the use of the distortion correcting data.

Thus, theimage projecting section190 can project the image after the distortion thereof has been corrected.

As described, according to this embodiment, the distortion of the projectedimage12 can be corrected by measuring the distance and angle between the point of theprojection lens section50 at which the light is projected and thescreen10 through only asingle sensor60.

Thus, the manufacturer can provide an image processing system which is of a simpler structure produced in lower cost, in comparison with the prior art technique of detecting the three-dimensional coordinates of the projected image by use of a plurality of CCD cameras.

According to this embodiment, furthermore, the distortion of the projectedimage12 can be corrected without use of the four corners in thescreen10. In other words, this embodiment may be applied to various kinds of projection targets (e.g., white board, wall or the like). Furthermore, this embodiment may be less influenced by the color and material of the projection target. According to this embodiment, thus, the versatility of the image processing system and the like can be more improved.

According to this embodiment, furthermore, theprojector20 can derive the projection distance based on the inter-coordinate distance between two corresponding points in thesensing plane17 without using the directional information of coordinate by using the coordinates of the projectedimage12 in thesensing plane17 when the image is projected at the minimum distance. Thus, theprojector20 can more simply and easily derive the projection distance to correct the distortion of the projectedimage12.

Modifications

The application of the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiment.

For example, if theprojector20 has a focus adjusting function, theprojector20 may comprise a control means for automatically adjusting the focus based on the distance information between theprojector20 and thescreen10, which has been generated by the correctioninformation generating section120.

Although the aforementioned embodiment has been described as to thesensor60 fixedly mounted in theprojector20, a positioning mechanism (e.g., an arm mechanism) for thesensor60 may be provided so that upon calibration, thesensor60 senses the projectedimage12 under a state that theprojection lens section50 is located farther apart from thesensor60.

Thus, the measurement accuracy of thesensor60 can be more improved.

In the aforementioned embodiment, theprojector20 generates the actual projection area information based on the sensing information in the actual operating condition and also generates the temporary projection area information based on the sensing information at the minimum distance in which the calibration image falls within the sensing range. However, the temporary projection area information may be generated based on the sensing information which are obtained when theprojector20 andscreen10 are placed under such a state that the calibration image falls within the sensing range and under such a state that the positional relationship therebetween is different from the actual operating state, rather than the minimum distance.

In the aforementioned embodiment, the two-dimensional lookup table is used as the projection distance data in which the projection distance is associated with the inter-coordinate distance. However, a function of inputting the inter-coordinate distance and outputting the projection distance may be used.

Although the aforementioned embodiment has been described as to the all-white calibration image, any monochromic calibration image other than white color may be used. Furthermore, theprojector20 may project and sense an all-black calibration image (the entire image being black-colored) and also an all-white calibration image, compare the ratios of luminance value between each pair of adjacent pixels included in the sensing information, and determine a pixel area having its luminance ratio more than a predetermined value as a projection area.

Thus, theprojector20 will less be influenced by any damage in thescreen10 or by any ambient light or the like relative to thescreen10. Therefore, theprojector20 can more precisely determine the projection area.

Although the aforementioned embodiment uses theprojector20 as an image processing system, the present invention is effective for an image processing system for CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) displays, LED (Light Emitting Diode) displays, EL (Electro Luminescence) displays and other displays, in addition to theprojector20.

Theprojector20 may be of liquid crystal projector, a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) projector, for example. Here, DMD is a trademark possessed by Texas Instruments Inc. of the USA.

Furthermore, the function of theprojector20 may be accomplished solely by theprojector20 or in dispersion by a plurality of decentralized processing units (e.g., one projector and one PC).